SYRIA: The 22-member Arab League suspended Syria on Nov. 12 and called for economic and political sanctions against the country.  (Washington Post)
 
NIGER/LIBYA: The president of Niger granted asylum to Saadi Gaddafi, the son of Colonel Gaddafi.  (The Guardian)
 
ITALY: Prime Minister Berlusconi resigned Nov. 12 and an economist was assigned the task of forming a new government to pull Italy out of Europe’s debt crisis.  (Wall Street Journal)
 
GREECE: A new prime minister and coalition government was sworn in Nov. 11.  (BBC)
 
MEXICO: Interior Minister Francisco Blake Mora and seven others died when their helicopter crashed Nov. 11.  (New York Times)
 
TURKEY: Kurdish militants hijacked a ferry off the coast on Nov. 11. Turkish Special Forces later rescued all of the 22 hostages.  (RIA Novosti)
 
BRAZIL: Police took over Rio de Janeiro’s largest slum — home to 100,000 people – in an effort to increase security ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.  (Miami Herald)
 
VENEZUELA: Washington Nationals pitcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped by gunmen near his home in Venezuela, only to be found alive by police two days later.  (CNN)